Portfolio optimization inside out

December 21, 2011

A possible way to search for constraints that improve optimization.

The perspective

The usual way of thinking about portfolio optimization is to first consider the utility and then restrict to where the constraints are satisfied.  A perfectly reasonable view.

We use random portfolios to get a different point of view: first ensure that the constraints are satisfied and then look at utility.

The idea

Going down this less travelled road suggests that we might be able to modify the constraints in order to achieve better optimization results.

The presentation

Annotated slides for “Portfolio Optimisation Inside Out” (from my presentation at the Computational and Financial Econometrics conference on Monday) show why the idea might work, and also outline the technique that Portfolio Probe uses to do trade optimization and to generate random portfolios.

Subscribe to the Portfolio Probe blog by Email

Leave a Reply

Related posts

  • February 25, 2013

    Exploring the quality of predictions using random portfolios and optimization. Previously "Simple tests of predicted returns" showed a few ways to look at expected returns at the asset level.  [...]

  • February 18, 2013

    Some ways to explore how good a method of predicting returns is. Data and model The universe is 443 large cap US stocks that have data back to the [...]

  • February 11, 2013

    A prediction of a portfolio's volatility is an estimate -- how variable is that estimate? Data The universe is 453 large cap US stocks. The variance matrices are estimated [...]